Yellow Coneflower is easy to grow in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates drought, light shade and somewhat poor soils. Intolerant of moist heavy clays. Long-headed coneflower or prairie coneflower is an erect, hairy, clump-forming plant that typically grows to 1-3’ tall.   This is an aster family member that is perhaps most noted for the long, cylindrical, center disk of each flower and its deeply cut leaves.. Flowers bloom in summer. Each flower features a long narrow center disk (cone to 2” long) with 3-7 drooping yellow rays at the base. Leaves (to 5” long) are pinnately lobed. Ray flowers of R. columnifera forma columnifera are yellow, but the rays of the less common R. columnifera forma pulcherrima are brownish purple. Cylindrical center disks are dark brown and somewhat resemble in shape the crown of a slender sombrero, hence the additional common name of Mexican hat. Columnifera refers to these columnar center disks.